Collapsible containers such as suitcases, attache cases, or like traveling cases



Jan. 16, 1951 Filed June 26, 1945 w. T. cRoss 2,538,616 COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS SUCH AS SUITCASES,

ATTACHE CASES OR LIKE. TRAVELING CASES 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1951 w cRoss 2,538,616

T. COLLAPSILBLE CONTAINERS SUCH AS S UITCASES, ATTACK-IE CASES OR LIKE TRAVELING CASES Filed June 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 7 'NVENTOR WZM ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1951 "cormrsistn conrAiNERs soon AS surrcssss, ATTACH]?! CASES, on LIKE TRAV- ELING GASES Walter Thomas Cr Bermondsey, London, Eng land, assignor to Barrow, Hepburn & Gale, Limited, London, England Application June .26, 1945, Serial No. 601,5 In Great Britain January -20, 19

1 Claim.. (Cl. 19043') The invention relates to fastening means for locking in position hinged rigid backing members for flexible end walls of a traveling case having yond its normal capacity; which will provide- Positive locking shoulders preventing a idental return of the backing members and which will permit of the yieldin ca ches being manually pressed substantially fiat against the side wall and without injurious contact therewith when the backing members are to be released for return.

The invention will n w be d scribed wi h reference to the constructional forms illustrated by way of example the accompanying drawin s. in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a collapsible suitcase equipped with one suitable form of looking means embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views of the suitcase in intermediate stages of collapsing.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate in front and end elevation respectively a part of the rear side wall of the suitcase with one of the locking 'means acmember and illustrate a reinforcing channel thereon.

The collapsible traveling case illustrated in the drawing is in general similar to that disclosed by my prior Patent No 2,250,126 (the essential modification being the replacement of the turnbutton fastening means thereof by the hereinafter described imp oved fastening means).

In he on rectan ular suitcase shown in the drawings as wider than it is deep, the lid I, sewn to the rear wall at la, the bottom 2 and the end walls or heads .3 3 are formed of aflexible material such as hide, thin leather, material sold under the registered trade mark Rexine, leathercloth, canvas or other suitable fabric or material and the front and rear walls i and 5 respect vely of the rame 3, 3. 4 and 5 are formed of similar material preferably appropriately stiffened by attached pieces 4;; of strawboard, fibre or plywood for example, or otherwise formed of a more or less still material such as strong leather, metal, Wood or millboard of suitable thickness, the stiffening material being solid or perforate and covered in any suitable material as desired. The lid l is provided with a rim comprising flanges 6, I, 1 which are arranged so as to be foldable to lie against the lid such as by each being joined thereto by a flexible hinge which can conveniently and advantageously be a foldable portion lyin akmgside the lines of junction of the bound ed e f the lid and the stall flanges. the binding together of such edges usually being strengthened y sewing them together between a binding strip. The front flange 6 of the rim may be however in one piece with the flexible lid. Generally the side flan s 1. 1 wilfbe arranged to :fold under I the front flange 6 at the front corners by means of the oblique folds 1d of the flexible side flanges 1, l or offlexible end portions la thereof in cases where it is desired to employ stifiened flanges.

Where a stiffened rim is employed, I transversely interrupt the stiffening of the side flanges 7, 1 so as to provide flexible hinges at 1c, 1c whereby the lid may be folded back on itself preferably inwards alon the fold line To as shown in 2. I

Similarly the flexible lid 1 and flexible bottom 2 may be stiffened on either side of medial longitudinal flexible hinge portions la, la Fig. 2, if so d s red.

There may be cases however where it may not be desired t arrange the bottom 2 {to fold back on itself and therefore it is to be understood that thereto by sewing a binding strip over the meeting edges.

The outer surface of the still front and rear walls 4 and 5 may be covered by a material which is similar or dissimilar to the material of which the flexible members of the suitcase are formed. The lid 1, the bottom 2 and the walls 3, 4 and 5 may be formed of a single piece of flexible material in which case the front and back walls 4, 5 are backed by orsecured to rigid members which are preferably solid.

The flexible end walls 3 are adapted to be stifiened by backing members 8 which may be solid and are foldable from a position lying along an adjacent side or bottom of the container to a position lying against said flexible end walls 3. In the illustrated embodiment each backing member 8 is foldable about an axis lying in the angle between adjacent sides of the container, being joined along one shorter edge to the front'stiffened wall 4, by a flexible hinge 8:]. so that it may be folded so as to rest against the stiff wall 4, in which case the "backing member is in its inoperative position, or the backing member may be folded so as to rest against its corresponding flexible wall 3 in its operative position, in which it bears upon the flexible end wall 3 and its free end engages the stiff back wall 5, thereby erecting or spreading apart the adjacent sides to extend and erect and support the flexible end walls 3. As shown in the drawings, each stiff backing member 8 is substantially of the same depth as the flexible end wall.

Lining material may be attached to the walls, lid and bottom sides of the case, While the backing members may be separately covered with lining such as fabric and the lining may be utilised to form the flexible hinge 8a.

For the purpose of rigidly locking the backing members 8, 8 in operative position when the case is erected, the rear wall 5 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is provided with spring catches 9, one pertaining to each backing member 8. Each of these spring catches 9 comprises a resilient strip I of springy metal for example extending from a mounting plate I I afixed to the inside surface of the wall as for instance by riveting. The strip II! is formed integrally with the plate I I, being struck therefrom by way of parallel slottings I2, and a portion of the strip I3 thus freed from the plane of the plate I I is bent inwardly of the case at I3 so as to extend into the path of movement of the free edge of the backing member 8 and constitute a detent. A terminal portion I4 of the strip II) is cranked so as to be located freely in a slot I5 in the wall 5, whilst a terminal portion of the plate II is turned inwardly to form a lug I5 which serves as an abutment between which and the spring detent I3 the backing member 3 can be locked in the operative position. From 7 Fig. 6 it will be readily seen that in the course of bringing the backing member 8 into its locked position indicated at A, the free edge of the said member engages and depresses the spring detent 53 just prior to reaching the position A, the detent I 3 being then overridden 'by the said free edge so as to be restored to the normal nondepressed position shown. When thus restored, the detent I 3 holds the backing member 8 in the operative position shown at A, and further outward movement of the backing member is prevented by means of the stop lug I6. As shown on a larger scale in Figs. 7 and 8, the part of the free edge of the backing member 8 which engages the spring catch is provided with a reinforcement tipping or channel I! formed for example of sheet metal.

' When locked in erect position the four rigid members 4, 5, 8, 3, form a rigid frame which holds the flexible bottom 2 as well as the flexible end the flexible lid I is held rigidly extended when the case is closed. If it is desired to collapse the case, the catches 9 are caused to release the backing members 8 in that for each catch the bend portion I3 of the strip In can be depressed manually as an initial operation, or the curvature of the portion I3 may be such as to permit of the depression merely by the pressure exerted by the backing member when initially urged in the collapsing direction. Upon the release of the backing members 8, the latter may then be turned inwards about their edges along which they are joined to the lid whereupon the lid can be brought down substantially flat upon the collapsed sides and can be folded about the collapsed front, back and end walls, or, if so desired, the lid I may be doubled back on itself and then folded down, or as is preferred both the lid and the. bottom may be doubled back on themselves as shown in Fig. 2, so that the doubled back lid lies against the stiff side 5and the doubled 'bottom lies between .the opposite stiff sides. Owing to the compactness of the locking means 9 it will be seen that a fitted pocket I8 (Fig. 1) of ample length can be accommodated on the inside of the rear Wall 5.

The usual co-operation of the lid and body of the container when this is closed is permitted, Fig. 1 showing by way of example how the front flange 6 of the rim and the front wall 4 of the suitcase is provided in the usual manner with an abreast pair of spring locks and carrier handle means. Additional fastening means e. g., of the press stud kind shown at I2, I3 in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,250,126 may be provided releasably to fasten the side flanges I, 'I of the staff of the lid to the end walls 3, 3 of the suitcase.

Alternatively, one backing member may be hingedly mounted on the front wall 4 and the other backing member upon the back wall 5 of the suitcase. In such a case, the spring catches according to either of the foregoing embodiments may be simply arranged to function in the manner desired, being correspondingly disposed upon both front wall'and back wall.

Means may be provided for retaining the case in the collapsed condition, as for example garment retaining straps 21, 28 secured to the insides of the sides 4, 5 of the case, these straps being wrapped round the outside of the collapsed case and secured to one another. I

WhatI claim is:

Fastening means for locking in position hinged rigid backing members for flexible end walls of a traveling case having rigid side Walls, said hinged members and said side walls forming a rigid frame, said-means for each said backing member comprising an angle plate having a fixinglimb secured to the inner face of one of said rigid side walls and an abutment lim'b positioned to lie adjacent one of said flexible end walls when in backing positiorrsaid fixing limb having a spring catch yieldable to the free edge of the backing member and arranged so that the backing member is retained between the catch and the abutment limb and is prevented by the latter from thrusting against said fiexible wall in moving to its backing position, said spring catch consisting of a resilient yieldable strip having a bend portion providing a stop for positively locking the hinged backing member against return movement, said side wall having a recess in which said locking bend is received when the catch yields to Number the backing member. 1,273,875 WALTER THOMAS CROSS. 1,504,885 1,577,129 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,636,838 The following references are of record in the 2 file of this patent: i 2350,12;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date 10 N b 830,396 Winter Sept. 4, 1906 18,401 Ross Feb. 16, 1915 316,723

Name Date Kosta July 30, 1918 Germann Aug. 12, 1924 Knutson Mar. 16, 1926 Roser July 26, 1927 Blumenthal Sept. 27, 1938 Cross July 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Feb. 14, 1929 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1929 

